The power of the movies is that they can transport viewers into another world, allowing them to encounter and think about issues and situations that they might not encounter in the real world. However, movies can also showcase the depth of character that is often a key part of the cinematic experience.
Film buffs on Reddit have pulled together a fascinating list of the types of movies that rigorously focus on character development, demonstrating how movies have a unique ability to show how a person can grow and change, often in a very heartwarming and encouraging way.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
The movie Good Will Hunting is something of an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the talent involved, both in front of and behind the camera. Helmed by renowned director Gus Van Sant, it focuses on a misunderstood genius played by Matt Damon as he comes to rethink his entire life as a result of his therapy sessions. Kylon1138 points out that this makes a great addition to the list, precisely because it focuses so rigorously on one individual person’s development and growth during the course of the movie.
The Way Back (2020)
The Way Back, “is slightly cliche but pretty good and exactly what you’re describing.” To be sure, as this points out, there are some things about the movie, particularly its plot, that are a bit predictable, since it follows the pattern of the many other great sports movies that have been made. However what allows it to succeed is the strength of Ben Affleck’s performance, which allows the viewer to see into the depths of this very complicated individual.
Wild (2014)
Reese Witherspoon has been in many great movies, and she brings her considerable talent to bear in Wild. The movie, based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, follows Witherspoon’s character as she goes on a tortuous and demanding hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. Throughout the movie, Witherspoon captures the complexities of this character, as well as showing how the many aspects of her complicated, and often difficult, life come to fruition during her hike. It’s easy to see why Sassycap would remark “its so inspiring to me.”
The Lives Of Others (2006)
No_Orange_2966 points out that The Lives of Others deserves to be on this list, and it’s easy to see why. Set in East , it focuses in particular on the way that the secret police secretly recorded and spied on private citizens. However, this political element, important as it is, is really background for the complex and layered emotional resonances that the movie repeatedly brings to bear.
In particular, it shows how truly contradictory people are, even those who are capable of doing very morally reprehensible things.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Adam Sandler is widely (and rightly) seen as one of the finest comedic actors to have ever emerged in Hollywood. Many of his talents are in evidence in Punch-Drunk Love, a romantic comedy from the early 2000s. As is so often the case, Sandler portrays a character who is something of a misfit, a lonely and depressed man who, as the movie proceeds, finally finds love. Given that it focuses so much on his growth and development as a person, and given that it has a happy ending, it’s easy to see why klware includes it in this list.
Heidi (1968)
There have been many adaptations of the story of Heidi, the little girl in the Alps who develops an extraordinary bond with both her grandfather and with another young girl named Clara. Though it makes many changes to the original novel, this version nevertheless does contain significant character development for all of its cast, including the central trio of Clara, Heidi, and her grandfather.
As 42nanaimobars points out, “Both the grandfather and Clara grow,” which renders the movie, “Very impactful.”
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
There are few indie movies that are quite as beloved as Little Miss Sunshine, which is arguably one of the best movies of the 2000s. There’s no doubt that the various characters in the movie grow and change during its runtime, as they all try to take little girl Olive Hoover to a pageant on time. As the movie unfolds, the family ultimately realizes a great deal about themselves and, just as importantly, they recognize the value of finding happiness even in an imperfect world. Small wonder that SatansMoisture includes it.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Viggo Mortensen might be most famous for portraying Aragorn in he’s been in a number of other important roles as well. In Captain Fantastic, in which he portrays a widower grieving the loss of his wife and trying to scatter her ashes as she wished. As Zipspin points out, it definitely belongs on this list, because both Morgensen’s Ben Cash and his children have to confront not only their grief, but also the uncertain future that awaits them after the funeral.
Transamerica (2005)
There have been many great LGBT movies, and Transamerica is often regarded as one of the better ones of the 2000s. It focuses in particular on Felicity Huffman’s character Sabrina Osbourne, a trans woman who has to confront her fraught and complicated relationship with her son as they travel across the country. As Frenchtoasteress points out, this is “Another good road trip movie with the characters growing along the way.” Indeed, the two characters come to recognize a great deal about themselves along this incredible journey.
Central Station (1998)
The best of heartwarming movies are those that allow the characters to slowly reveal themselves–their dreams, their desires, their relationships–to the audience as the plot unfolds. That’s exactly what happens in Central Station, a Brazilian-French movie about the unexpected but powerful bond that develops between a middle-aged woman and a young boy. Frenchtoasteress argues that it is “The best road trip movie ever,” and the critics certainly agreed that the lead actress, Fernanda Montenegro, delivered a powerful and inspired performance.
